Aaron Gams, a former nurse at St. Peters Health, appeared in Lewis & Clark County Justice Court on Tuesday, facing a felony charge of abusing a vulnerable adult. The allegations stem from an incident in 2023 when Gams was accused of sexually abusing a patient under his care in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
Court documents detail that the patient, who was hospitalized and experiencing hallucinations due to her illness and treatment, alleged that Gams fondled her breasts after rubbing her back while she was in and out of consciousness.
Months after the alleged incident, Gams reportedly contacted the patient via text messages from his personal phone. According to court documents, the messages included comments identifying himself as a nurse from St. Peters Health and expressing personal thoughts about their interaction. When the patient questioned whether they had connected on an “intimate level,” Gams allegedly confirmed her recollections, expressing a desire to “reconnect” and discuss their “connection” further.
The communications prompted the patient to contact law enforcement, stating the messages confirmed that her memories of the hospital incident were not hallucinations.
Court records reveal that Gams appeared before the Montana Board of Nursing, which suspended his nursing license pending further investigation into the allegations. In a subsequent message, Gams expressed concern about the impact of the situation on his professional, legal, and personal life, while apologizing for any perceived harm.
Bond for Gams was set at $50,000. He is scheduled to enter a plea in Montana District Court at a later date. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
By: DNU staff